Search Feature from Start button

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael
  • Start date Start date
M

Michael

I am having a problem with the "Search" feature.
It doesn't work, since a few (2-3) days ago.
When I click on start, then search, the desktop taskbar
(which is set to auto-hide) freezes and will not respond
to any amount of clicking, nor will the minimized, opened
programs that are displayed on the taskbar.
I have to turn-off the power to the PC and re-boot, at
which time the usual scan occurs.
This scan reports a file error, something to do
with "wiaserv".
After re-booting, I still get the same problem.
I have re-installed Windows XP, and still the problem
persists.
This problem has only been happening for the past 2-3
days.
Any ideas or help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
Hey Michael,

Are you saying its running chkdsk every time you start your system ? It
shouldn't run every time. Only when xp thinks theres a problem.

The problem you have may be a symptom of a hardware issue.

Go to a command prompt and check the state of the disk containing windows
xp.

start/all programs/accessories/command prompt

fsutil dirty query C:

If necessary replace C: with your windows xp drive letter.

Does it report that its dirty ?

If so, something is causing your disk to corrupt.

Have a look in the system event log

start/run
eventvwr.msc

Select system in left hand pane

Look down the right hand pane, and see if there are any disk or file system
errors, timeouts, crc errors or parity errors, or anything else that has a
white cross on a red circluar background which looks like it relates to disk
errors.

Paul
 
Ok,
I was still half asleep, of course it runs chkdsk as you're not doing a
clean shutdown.

At least we know chkdsk is fixing any problems since the dirty flag is being
unset.

Wiaserv is probably the windows image acquistion service, disabling this
prevent long initialisation times. If you don't need it for a scanner or
camera, disable it.

start/run
services.msc

Its near the end obviously as it starts with "W" :-)

Double click on it and change startup type to disabled, then reboot.

Is it actually chkdsk thats complaining about wiaserv ?

Paul
 
Paul,
I ran eventvwr.msc and got error messages the earliest
being:
13/10/2003. DCOM Event ID:10005
The next error, same date and time:
Background Intelligent Service Manager Event ID: 7003

There are other errors later in dates including:
Errors with IPSEC services.

The latest error in the log:
28/10/03 GMT+10
Error Service Control Manager Event ID: 7023
"The IPSEC Services. service terminated with the
following error:the authentication service is unknown"

regards.
Michael.
 
Do you use a VPN or have you been changing security policies ?
Have you done any configuring in Routing and Remote Access ?
Have you tried to configure ipsec on your system or made any security policy
changes with gpedit ?
Is your system part of a domain and aquiring its policies through Active
Directoty, or stand alone?
Have you done restored to a checkpoint or done a repair install which may
have messed things up ?

Paul
 
Do you use a VPN or have you been changing security
policies?

I'm not familiar with VPN??
Have you done any configuring in Routing and Remote
Click to expand...
Access?

Nothing done with routing.
I have permitted remote access only tonite AFTER the
problem to allow for support on the net.
Have you tried to configure ipsec on your system or made any security policy
changes with gpedit ?
Click to expand...

I don't know anything about IPSEC or GPEDIT.
Is your system part of a domain and aquiring its policies through Active
Directoty, or stand alone?
Click to expand...

My system is not on a network, it is a stand-alone PC.
The only thing I have been doing that is out of the usual
is to d/load "HtTrack" web-site copier, and have been
using HtTrack to download a mirror of a friend's web-site
Have you done restored to a checkpoint or done a repair install which may
have messed things up?
Click to expand...

I did a re-instal of WinXP (upgrade option)to try and
rectify the problem which existed BEFORE the re-instal,
then went to Windows Update and checked for critical
updates and recommended updates, which I d/loaded and
installed.
I am still on Fat32 file system, as my initial instal of
WinXP was using the upgrade option rather than new instal.

I can live with the slow boot for the time being, but the
search causing taskbar and start button to freeze is my
main problem.

As mentioned in another reply to you, I can't get
sfc/scannow to run and I am getting an error message
saying "can' find sfc/scannow"

Michael.
 
Paul,
I can get "search" to work OK using Windows Explorer, but
still get the freeze of the bottom taskbar when I try to
use "Search" from "Start", "Search".
Also pressing Alt-Ctrl-Del and viewing processes I notice
that Explorer.exe is using 100% of CPU.

Boot-up is still painfully slow, with the long-wait still
related to Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Personal Firewall
to initialize and show in the desktop bottom taskbar.

Just prior to them kicking-in the CPU usage is minimal,
thren it rises to aroung 80% when Norton Anti-virus and
Firewall start initializing.

Still sfc/scannow cannot be found and therefore i can't
run sfc/scannow.

There are also about four svchost running in processes.

Michael
 
Hey Michael,

Another day, another 50p.

1. Unplug whatever your internet connection is. Then run msconfig and go to
the startup tab, and disable your anti virus and firewall, reboot the
system, and see if the problem goes away. Lets get it narrowed down. Check
to see if explorer still uses a lot of cpu.

start/run
msconfig

Have a look in the services snap in at any norton services, double click on
them and select the dependencies tab, what services are listed in the top
pane. These are the services which must be running before the Norton Service
can start, they may be looping waiting on the dependent service, and hence
using a lot of cpu.

start/run
services.msc

2. 4 svchost processes sounds about right. These are the processes which run
all the windows xp services, although there are some viruses which disguise
themselves as a svchost process.
I have 4 on this system running XP professional.

I know you have norton anti virus, but just for my piece of mind, and to
eliminate the possibility of a virus, can you go to the symantec website and
run their online virus check.

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?productid=symhome&langid=ie&venid=sym

Click on the test your computers exposure link, and then select the virus
scan.

3. I really dont understand why and am rather concerned you can't get sfc to
run, it should be there.
Go into windows explorer and search for it.
In \windows\system32 you should find sfc.exe sfc.dll sfcfiles.dll sfc_os.dll

If these files aren't on your disk, perhaps you are missing others aswell.

Also check to see if you have the folder \windows\system32\dllcache

This is the first place from which sfc will restore missing or corrupt
system files.
After that it looks for \windows\servicepackfiles (did I ask if you have
sp1 and the latest patches?)

And after that if it still can't find what it needs it will promp for you to
insert the windows xp cd.

4. Try removing the Search option from the start menu, and rebooting and
then adding it back,

Right click on start button/properties/start menu tab/customize/advanced

Scroll down and uncheck start and reboot.

5. Have you traced the boot with bootvis yet to see which parts are taking
the time ? How long does bootvis time the boot at ?

6. I went back and read your origninal post, where you said you reinstalled
windows xp. Was this a clean install with a reformat, or a repair install ?
If it was a repair install, did you reapply and previously appied service
pack and fixes, if you didn't then you're program files may have problems.

7. Do you have a system restore point that you could go back to, when you
know the system was working ok?

Have a look in the system restore interface at what checkpoints are
available,

A quick route to it is

start/run
\%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui




Paul
 
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